Amanda Taylor
"Idiocy has no place while performing your duty." - Amanda Taylor Amanda Taylor is a Shinigami and currently 9th Seat of the 3rd Division, the Blitzkrieg Strike Unit. Story Amanda was born from a middle-class family in Los Angeles, California as the only child of Michael and Angela Taylor. Her father was a scientist and his mother was a middle school teacher. She was raised with a belief that she can achieve anything in life that she puts her heart, mind and soul into. Life was very normal in her adolescent years. During the adolescent years, she often spend time alone inside her home even though she had good friends who thought of her as a wonderful person to talk to whenever they had problems or issues. After she graduated from high school at the age of 18, there was an exchange program for people to Japan where they can get to know the people and its culture. Amanda wanted to there since thinking about during her senior year of high school, but did not have the proper funds or a passport. During dinnertime, the girl talked about such program with her parents. They were leery at first, because the thought of her wasting her time and just party. However, after some convincing and trust, Michael and Angela gave their daughter permission for the once in a lifetime trip. However, a technical failure in the aircraft systems resulted in her premature death when the plane crash somewhere in the countryside. The impact of the crash killed the woman instantly. When she got up from what she thought to be heaven, she found herself in the 30th District of West Rukongai, which was much different from what she’d imagined. Confused and lost, people did not want to help the poor young woman mainly because she didn’t look like them. All across the district, they gave her the title of gaijin or foreigner. People would laugh at her appearance a daily basis and often times would bully her. Many of nights, Amanda slept on the cold surface outside in hiding while silently cry in her sleep. Years would pass on by and things haven’t gotten much better. Hope seemed to be out reach for all eternity with a nightmare that had no end in sight. One morning, a person dressed in black clothing passed a figure presumed to be dead. When the person walked up closer to the body, Amanda got up from her lonely slumber, darting her purple eyes at the individual many called them shinigami. She was very fearful early on, afraid that the black-clothed person was going to kill her. The jet-haired death god calmed her down and stared to talk her about the place was in know the Soul Society. They spoke for about a half an hour before the mysterious person told her about the Shinigami Academy. She was apprehensive as first, but decided that it would best to get away from the horrors of living in West Rukongai and feel isolated by the citizens. During her time at the Academy, her appearance had caused some people to laugh at her. Quite a few of her classmates made bets on how quickly Amanda would wash out, only to lose their money as she hung in there for the first six months of her death god education. She survived the first full year, then she made it to her second, and third. The girl developed some resolve as the teasing and flat out bullying of some of her bigger, stronger classmates failed to vex her. She took to her training with quiet vigor, and impressed her instructors with her will to work and become stronger and mentality sharper. In good time, she graduated from the Academy firmly in the middle of the pack of trainees, with her expertise in swordsmanship as her trademark. Amanda was placed in the 3rd Division since it best fit her talents the instructors saw in her. Now, she had to prove to people that she is more than just a gaijin or another pretty face. Amanda worked her way up through the ranks with a fair amount of speed. She even took the time to train with other unseated Strikers in the division. Her attainment of shikai brought her to the attention of Okaeshin, who was third seat at the time, as well as acting as the de facto leader of the division while Captain Furousha and Vice-Captain Kyuu were away. It eventually lead her getting promoted to fifteenth seat. The pink-haired shinigami continued to train herself and others when not called for missions. However, ominous news that swept through Seireitei had her on guard. The news of the all-out war against the Espada had the Seireitei on edge and confused. It also marked the return of the two prominent people in the division, as well as fifth Ri Caishin. The news of Shinigami working together with Vastro Lorde wasn’t the kind of news Amanda sure didn’t want to hear. With the inevitable coming, the captain decided to reward the teenager with the ranking of ninth seat. Appearance Amanda was never one to go unnoticed in a crowd. Standing at a mere 5’4”, she is far from being overly short, but she isn’t necessarily the tallest in the bunch either. Her body is lean and well-toned, stemming from hours of training and the nature of her duties. However, a sincere look into her purple eyes is enough to give away the true emotion she is experiencing. Amanda’s hair is the most noticeable thing when people see her. The color of the hair has a pink look to it, as its length only goes down to her shoulder area. Her light-skinned complexion has a fair feel to it, but she doesn’t like to stay around the sun for too long since it will give her a bad case of sunburn. For her uniform, she wears a standardized shihakushou like all other shinigami, with her zanpakutou resting on her left hip. Personality Amanda attains a soothing eloquence only after her time spent in Western Rukongai. She is rather reserved, battling her own thoughts and memories as she struggles to settle into the present. She is still sensitive to taunting comments about artificial beauty, though she’d learned how to handle them better now. A woman struggling to find true haven and comfort in her own skin, Amanda is someone who would rather shy away from attention and focus on others – prioritizing other people’s problems above her own. As a comfortable listener, she’s the one who would rather discuss about the other person rather than delving into her own problems; when another does not ask, they do not need to know. At times she might come off as antisocial; choosing to spend her time alone with her thoughts rather than with the company of others. However, she is one who cherishes the bonds with the few she trusts. Amanda answers honestly, always, but with careful caution with her words. A reasonable raconteur who keeps a healthy distance if she can, there is nothing on the surface that one would find hard to like. Zanpakutou Sealed Form The sword sits at a length of forty-two inches from top of hilt to tip of blade. The hilt is of gold color, but it does not have any other adornments. The guard has a mahogany feel to it. The blade itself is metallic silver from its base at the guard all the way to the tip. The zanpakutou itself resembles the old-fashioned uchigatana both in length and in style, which helps her make quick and decisive attacks. The scabbard is in a color of black, polished to a careful shine as a sign of being well maintained if nothing else. Zanpakutou Spirit The spirit takes a form of a gorgeous Frenchwoman. She has a slender build as well as a look of flawlessness about her. She wears a blue dress with white trimmings that adorns on there. She has blond hair that nearly goes all the way down to the floor. Her silver eyes are pure, which can piece anybody’s soul. The inner world of is of a grass field on the countryside with a small castle showing in the background. Belle Corinne has a calm and gracious demeanor. She deeply cares for Amanda as if she’s a big sister to her. Often times the woman loves teasing the American shinigami and tries to teach her gracefulness as a swordswoman and humility as a person. There would be times where she chastises Amanda for being sometimes anti-social and/or shy to others. The zanpakutou spirit wants nothing but the best for her owner as a shinigami and as a person in general. Shikai Name: Belle Corinne (Beautiful Maiden) Release Command: Pierce with beauty and chivalry, Belle Corinne!! Appearance: The released form is a European weapon that weighs around three and a half pounds and has a relatively long and slender blade. Its size is one inch in width and 40 inches in length with the ending of blade having a sharp pointed tip. The color of the pommel and handle are red; the hilt will have blackish color. Piqûre (Puncture): At the expenditure of 5% reiatsu, Amanda has the ability to hurl rapiers made from spiritual energy towards her target. At first only three can be summoned, though as the connection stat increases more can be summoned, namely one more rapier for every 1000 connection, up to a total of 10. Bankai Trivia Gallery Category:Shinigami Category:Third Division